Clarkson grand marshal for pre-Mardi Gras parade

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Pop star Kelly Clarkson will ride as celebrity grand marshal when the Krewe of Endymion parade rolls on the Saturday before Mardi Gras in 2013.

Clarkson was the first winner of the Fox reality show “American Idol” in 2002. Her hits include “A Moment Like This” and “Because of You.”

Organizers say she’ll perform at Endymion’s ball at the Superdome after the parade.

Clarkson may be upstaged at the Feb. 9 parade by a float that organizers say will be the largest and most elaborate in Carnival history.

The super float will be 250 feet long and carry more than 200 riders. Its design focuses on Pontchartrain Beach, the amusement park that entertained generations on the New Orleans lakefront before closing in 1983.